BERLIN, June 6. /TASS/. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Europe was ready for negotiations with Russia on resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

"We are ready for talks," he told reporters after the EU - West Balkans summit in Montenegro. "In my point of view, it is absolutely natural that Europeans should sit at the negotiating table in this format."

The chancellor claimed that resolving the conflict in Ukraine is "in Europe’s legitimate interests."

"The European side will not lack willingness to negotiate," he assured.

Merz said that he will discuss his next steps in the E3 format (Germany, the United Kingdom and France) in London on June 7 - with French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Vladimir Zelensky.

On May 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, answering journalists’ questions, said that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is the preferred candidate for possible negotiations between the EU and Russia. Moscow has never been closed to negotiations, he added.